Human Rights Voices

While the UN devotes its human rights operations to the demonization of the democratic state of Israel above all others and condemns the United States more often than the vast majority of non-democracies around the world, the voices of real victims around the world must be heard.

Iran, January 11, 2018

At least 8,000 people have been detained during Iran protests

The massive and widespread arrests of young people in different Iranian cities continue since the people took to the streets on December 28.

According to reports from inside Iran and from within the regime, the number of detainees has mounted to at least 8,000 by the end of the second week of the Iranian people's uprising.

In recent days, several of these prisoners were martyred under the regime's medieval tortures.

Despite the regime's attempts to keep hidden the number of arrests, it admitted to parts of it due to the high rise in numbers.

A week ago Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of parliament, said the number of arrestees amounted to 3,700.

On January 2, political-security deputy governor of Tehran said 450 people were arrested in Tehran in only three days (December 30 - January 1).

On December 30 and 31, 396 people were arrested in events in Arak and other cities of the Central Province, 65 of whom were teenagers under the age of 18, said the Chief Justice of the Central province on January 4.

The deputy governor of Golestan said on January 3, "With the arrest of about 150 of insurgents in Gorgan, calm returned to this city."

"In recent days, when there was some rioting and turmoil in Hamadan, more than 150 people were arrested in Hamadan," Hamedan Governor said on January 2.

Mashhad deputy prosecutor said on January 3, "A total of 138 people were arrested in Mashhad disturbances".

The commander of Kerman Provincial Guard Corps (Sarallah) said on January 2, "During the recent turmoil, more than 80 rioters were arrested and handed over to the competent authorities."

"In the illegal gatherings of Kashan, about 50 to 60 people were arrested," Kashan Prosecutor said on January 1.

According to Bahman Taherkhani, a parliamentarian from Takistan, on January 2, "Some 50 people with ominous intentions caused unrest in this city who should be punished according to their crimes". He added, "The presence of individuals with a leading role in recent riots is another sign that these disturbances are organized."

According to reports from the prisons in Ahwaz and other cities in Khuzestan, the number of arrestees in the province is 1,600.

The parliamentarian from Izeh said he does not have an accurate number of the detainees. He added that they were mostly teenagers and young people aged 16 to 24 years old. Hundreds have been arrested in Izeh, according to reports.

The Iranian Resistance called on all the people, especially the youth, to support the detainees and their families, and to rise up for the release of prisoners.

It also called on the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the European Union, and the member-states, and the US government, as well as all human rights organizations, to strongly condemn the clerics' regime for these blatant anti-human crimes, and to adopt effective measures to free the detainees.

"Numerous reports from various cities of the country alleging mistreatment of prisoners and martyrdom of a number of them under torture makes it very essential and urgent to establish an investigative committee by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate into the arbitrary arrests and the crimes carried out in the regime's prisons," the statement said.